1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a medical catheter and, more particularly, to a medical catheter including an expandable lumen.
2. Background of Related Art
Catheters for supplying and/or withdrawing fluids into and/or from the body are well known in the art. Such catheters may be employed for medication delivery, urine removal, blood treatment, e.g., dialysis, etc. In the area of dialysis, single, double and triple lumen catheters are well known. Typically, double or dual lumen dialysis catheters define an arterial lumen and a venous lumen for simultaneously withdrawing and returning blood from and to the body. A pair of single lumen catheters can be used to achieve the same function. Triple lumen catheters generally include arterial and venous lumens and a guidewire lumen. The guidewire lumen is provided to accommodate a guidewire to facilitate catheter placement within the body and/or facilitate delivery of a medical fluid into the body.
One drawback associated with providing a guidewire lumen within a catheter is that the inclusion of a guidewire lumen effectively reduces the cross-sectional area available to accommodate the remaining lumen or lumens. Thus, the maximum fluid flow rate in the remaining lumen or lumens of the catheter as compared to a catheter not having a guidewire lumen is reduced.
Accordingly, a continuing need exists in the medical arts for a catheter including a guidewire lumen with improved flow rates through the existing lumen or lumens.